Archives for June 2013

A child look at paintings of President Barack Obama, (r.), and former South African President Nelson Mandela, outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria, South Africa Saturday. Obama encouraged leaders in Africa and around the world to follow Mandela’s example of country before self, before paying personal respects to relatives who have been gathered around the critically ill anti-apartheid icon. Ben Curtis/AP

JOHANNESBURG

US President Barack Obama met the family of SouthAfrica‘s ailing anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela on Saturday and he praised the critically ill, retired statesman as one of history’s greatest figures.

The faltering health of Mandela, 94, a figure admired globally as a symbol of struggle against injustice and racism, is dominating Obama’s two-day visit to SouthAfrica.

But Obama also faced protests by South Africans against US foreign policy, especially American drone strikes.

Police fired stun grenades on Saturday to disperse several hundred protesters who had gathered outside the Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg, where Obama was due to address a town hall meeting with students.

Obama, in SouthAfrica on the second leg of a three-nation Africa tour, met Mandela relatives to deliver a message of support instead of directly visiting the former president at the hospital where he has spent the last three weeks.

Obama told reporters afterwards he also spoke by telephone with Mandela’s wife Graca Machel, who remained by her husband’s side in the hospital in Pretoria.

“I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones, and also expressed my heartfelt support for the entire family as they work through this difficult time,” he said, using the clan name Madiba by which Mandela is affectionately known.

Obama earlier had talks with South African President Jacob Zuma and the two held a joint news conference in which Zuma said Mandela remained in a “critical but stable condition”.

Obama’s visit to SouthAfrica had stirred intense speculation that the first African-American president of theUnited States would look in on the first black president of SouthAfrica in his hospital room.

But Mandela’s deterioration in the last week to a critical condition forced the White House to rule out the possibility of Obama and his wife seeing the frail ex-statesman.

Speaking to reporters at Pretoria‘s Union Buildings, where Mandela was inaugurated as president in 1994, Obama said the prayers of millions around the world were with the Nobel Peace laureate, who lay just one km (mile) away in hospital.

Adding to his previous praise of Mandela, Obama likened him to first US president George Washington because of the decision of both to step down at the peak of their power.

“What an incredible lesson that is,” Obama said, calling Mandela “one of the greatest people in history”.

Obama had said on Thursday he did not “need a photo op” with Mandela, whom he met in 2005 in Washington when he was a US senator.

“BOUND BY HISTORY”

After holding talks with Obama, Zuma said Mandela’s critical condition was unchanged. “We hope that very soon he will be out of hospital,” he added, without giving further details.

In welcoming Obama, Zuma underscored the historical similarities between Mandela and his US guest in overcoming decades of institutionalised racism and discrimination to rise to the highest political office.

“The two of you are also bound by history as the first black presidents of your respective countries,” Zuma said. “You both carry the dreams of the millions of people in Africa and the diaspora.”

On Sunday, Obama flies to Cape Town from which he will visit Robben Island, the windswept former penal colony in the frigid waters of the south Atlantic where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in apartheid jails.

Zuma said Mandela had told him before his latest hospitalisation that “when I go to sleep I will be very happy because I left SouthAfrica going forward”.

While summer is a time for relaxation for us, did you know it’s one of the most stressful times for our four-legged friends?

We’re busy traveling, the kids are home from school, and friends are over for BBQs. These changes in routine can easily stress our cats and dogs. Summer thunderstorms and 4th of July fireworks are also events that can terrify pets with their loud booms. (In fact, July 5 is one of the busiest days of year at animal shelters because dogs run away and/or become disoriented with fear.)

Signs of stress are not always obvious, but we can look for specific cues. For example, bad or unusual behavior – such as a dog being destructive in the home or barking excessively or a cat hiding from you or urinating outside the litter box – may be a sign of stress. And unfortunately, problem behavior is a top reason for the relinquishment of pets by their owners.

When planning summer’s festivities, we need to keep pets in mind! Knowing what options exist to alleviate their stress and address problem behavior can make the season more enjoyable for all.

Here are a few options that can aid stress management and restore emotional balance, including a first-of-its-kind nutritional option from health nutrition company Royal Canin.

· Diet – There’s now a complete and balanced diet that can nutritionally support a pet’s health and the behavior problems associated with stress and anxiety. This therapeutic diet from Royal Canin is vet-recommended and is available exclusively through vets

· Pheromone therapy – These products mimic natural pheromones to help calm and reassure cats and dogs and are available in various forms like sprays, plug-in diffusers and collars

· Environmental enrichment – Providing a safe, fun and soothing environment could include keeping pets engaged with toys and mental and physical playtime, creating a comfortable ‘space’ just for them, or playing music when loud noises may occur as a distraction

This summer, let’s keep our pets calm, happy and healthy – and out of shelters. Let me know if you’re interested in learning more about pet stress and problem behavior. I can get you in touch with popular certified animal behaviorist Steve Dale or a veterinarian to talk about the signs, causes, and top managements options.

With the arrival of summer, more drivers will hit the American highways for summer vacations. At Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM service centers, we want to share a few Summer Driving Tips to help prepare your vehicle and ensure it is in optimal driving condition for your summer getaway or your day-to-day driving in hotter weather conditions:

1. Change your motor oil regularlyRegular oil changes with the correct grade of motor oil can improve gas mileage up to two percent.* Synthetic oils are best for high temperature driving conditions and for added protection when towing.

2. Check your tire pressureKeeping your tires properly inflated can help improve gas mileage up to three percent.* Be sure to check your tire pressure before you begin driving for the day. This allows you to get a cold pressure reading (the number commonly referenced in your owner’s manual).

9. Check your air conditioning systemNothing makes the summer heat more unbearable than traveling with an air conditioning system that will not cool properly.

10. Check your windshield wipers and wiper fluidThe combination of bad wipers and a summer downpour can leave you with no view of the road. Be sure you have plenty of wiper fluid to help keep your windshield clear of dirt and debris.

Also, remember to follow the vehicle maintenance procedures outlined in your owner’s manual. These can help improve your fuel economy and prolong the life of your vehicle. The following should be included:

• Check your transmission fluid: Changing the fluid when needed helps restore your vehicle’s operation by protecting the gears from grinding. • Rotate your tires regularly: This prevents uneven wear, which can shorten the life of your tires. It also improves vehicle handling and traction.• Check your gearbox fluid: Changing the fluid when needed restores additives to protect the gears from grinding. This is especially important for four-wheel drive vehicles because they have three gear boxes.

Follow these Summer Driving Tips and your vehicle’s regular maintenance schedule to get optimal driving conditions and good fuel economy for your vehicle this summer. So, get out there and enjoy your summer vacation, or at least, you can feel better about driving during the dog days of summer. To learn more or to find a Valvoline Instant Oil Change near you, visit vioc.com.

SMService mark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries* As cited from the U.S. Department of Energy at fueleconomy.gov

Makaziwe Mandela told South Africa’s state broadcaster on Thursday that the former president and anti-apartheid leader is still giving the family hope, even though “anything is imminent.”

by NewsOne Staff

UPDATE: 8:52 A.M. EST 06/27/13:

According to President Jacob Zuma, Nelson Mandela’s health has improved.

Read statement below:

President Jacob Zuma visited former President Nelson Mandela in hospital in Pretoria today, 27 June, and was informed by the medical team that Madiba’s condition has improved during the course of the night. He remains critical but is now stable.

“I cancelled my visit to Mozambique today so that I could see him and confer with the doctors. He is much better today than he was when I saw him last night. The medical team continues to do a sterling job. We must pray for Tata’s health and wish him well. We must also continue with our work and daily activities while Madiba remains hospitalized, ’’ President Zuma said.

The Presidency is disturbed by the rumors that are being spread about former President Mandela’s health. We appeal for respect for the privacy and dignity of the former President.

UPDATE: 7:11 A.M. EST, 06/27/13:

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A daughter of Nelson Mandela says he is in very critical condition but is still opening his eyes and reacting to touch at the South African hospital where he is being treated.

Makaziwe Mandela told South Africa’s state broadcaster on Thursday that the former president and anti-apartheid leader is still giving the family hope, even though “anything is imminent.”

She says her family will wait with 94-year-old Mandela until “the time to go.”

From Senegal, President Barack Obama said, “Mandela is ‘a hero for the world. His legacy will linger on through the ages.”

UPDATE: 6:08 A.M. EST:

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has been kept on a life-support system following deterioration of his health condition at a South African hospital where the 94-year-old leader was admitted three weeks ago with a recurring lung infection.

“Ailing former President Nelson Mandela is on life support in the Pretoria Heart Clinic where he has been fighting a recurrent lung infection since June 8,” The Citizen’ newspaper reported.

According to the paper, five highly-placed sources close to the family, including two who had recently visited him in hospital, said that the iconic leader’s health has deteriorated to the point where he is breathing with the assistance of a life support ventilator.

The revelation came as a group of elders of the AbaThembu clan, to which critically ill Mandela belongs, will assess his condition during a visit to his hospital today to decide on a course of action, according to the daily The Times here.

Another source told the daily that Mandela is suffering from kidney failure and is undergoing renal dialysis for three hours every second day.

“He is critical, but has an entire team of doctors, from a cardiac specialist, pulmonary specialist, kidney specialist and a main consultant looking after him,” the source said, adding that the doctors have given the family the option to switch off the life support machines.

A meeting was called yesterday by Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe at his ancestral home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape province during which it was decided that that the elders and Mandela’s confidantes would visit Mandela at the hospital.

The Afrikaans daily Beeld reported that two hours after the Mandela family meeting, a grave-digging machine was parked near the proposed graveyard where Mandela is likely to be buried.

However, reports from the Presidency only confirmed that Mandela remains in a critical conditions. As South Africans steeled themselves for the worst, the family turned to prayer.

Relatives met in his home of Qunu while an archbishop led his family in prayer, calling for “a quiet night and a peaceful, perfect, end” for the former president.

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba joined the family at the hospital.

In Pretoria, as huge crowds began gathering to pray and show support for Madiba, as he is affectionately known by millions, police reinforcements had to be called in to block off areas around the hospital for safety reasons.

At Mandela’s original home in Vilakazi Street in Soweto, barricades has to be put up to control the influx of visitors.

Considered the founding father of South Africa’s democracy, Mandela became an international figure while enduring 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid.

He was elected the nation’s first black president in 1994, four years after he was freed from prison.

Police officers read messages from well wishers pasted outside the hospital, where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated, in Pretoria.

by Siphiwe Sibeko, theRoot

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africans prayed and waited on Thursday after another downturn in the condition of ailing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela forced President Jacob Zuma to cancel a trip to neighboring Mozambique.

Zuma had been due to attend a summit in Maputo of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss regional infrastructure, but pulled out after visiting the 94-year-old former president in hospital late on Wednesday.

“Over the past 48 hours, the condition of former president Madiba has gone down,” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj told state broadcaster SABC, using the clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known.

On Thursday morning, Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe led a group of his grandchildren to see the retired statesman in the Pretoria hospital where he has been receiving treatment since June 8 for a lung infection.

Makaziwe told SABC radio after her visit that Mandela was responding to touch.

“I won’t lie, it doesn’t look good. But as I say, if we speak to him, he responds and tries to open his eyes. He’s still there. He might be waning off, but he’s still there,” she said.

One granddaughter, Ndileka, described him as “stable” and thanked well-wishers from around the world for their support.

Maharaj had earlier declined to comment on media reports that South Africa’s first black president was on life support, saying his privacy should be respected.

Mandela’s fourth hospitalization in six months has forced a growing realization among South Africans that the man regarded as the father of their post-apartheid “Rainbow Nation” will not be among them forever.

“Mandela is very old and at that age, life is not good. I just pray that God takes him this time. He must go. He must rest,” said Ida Mashego, a 60-year-old office cleaner in Johannesburg’s Sandton financial district.

Mandela is admired around the world as a symbol of resistance to injustice for the way he opposed his country’s apartheid system, spending 27 years in jail, more than half of them on notorious Robben Island.

He is also respected for the way he preached reconciliation after the 1994 transition to multi-racial democracy following three centuries of white domination.

“CELEBRATING HIS LIFE”

U.S. President Barack Obama is due to visit South Africa at the weekend as part of a three-nation Africa tour he has already started in Senegal. Maharaj said it was too early to say whether Obama’s schedule in Johannesburg and Cape Town on Saturday and Sunday might be affected by Mandela’s worsening condition.

Well-wishers’ messages, bouquets and stuffed animals have piled up outside Mandela’s Johannesburg home and the wall of the hospital compound where he is being treated in the capital.

As they headed to work on Thursday, South Africans seemed resigned to the prospect of losing their hero.

“We are all going to feel bad when he passes, but at the same time we will be celebrating his life. He has done so many great things for this country,” said John Ndlovu, a 25-year-old office worker.

Mandela stepped down in 1999 after one five-year term in office.

Since then he has played little role in public life, dividing his time in retirement between his home in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Houghton and Qunu, the village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province where he was born.

The public’s last glimpse of him was a brief clip aired by state television in April during a visit to his home by Zuma and other officials from the ruling African National Congress.

At the time, the 101-year-old liberation movement said Mandela was “in good shape”, although the footage showed a thin and frail old man sitting expressionless in an armchair.

Obesity rates in the United States remain unacceptably high, and the epidemic persists in affecting Blacks and Hispanics disproportionately.

by Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, theGrio

Obesity is now classified as a disease. This was the final decision at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA), the organization that represents doctors nationwide.

Despite their own Council on Science and Public Health releasing a report earlier in the meeting which indicated that obesity was not a disease process, the AMA House of Delegates took the bold step to vote in opposition to this report.

Taking away the blame

For persons who struggle with their weight and the physicians that care for them, this designation of obesity as a disease is seen as a victory. Currently, there are very few resources available to those with obesity as this entity has been viewed as self-induced. The current dogma suggests that obesity can be cured with proper diet and nutrition.

Many persons believe that if you are eating the right foods in the proper portion sizes and following a dedicated exercise regimen, you will never become obese. However, science has taught us that while this may be the case for some persons, there is not a “one size fits all” approach to obesity.

Studies have shown that hormones in the body such as leptin and ghrelin play a role in the weight status of an individual. These hormones are just a few of the hormones that regulate energy balance in the human body. Leptin, a hormone that is primarily produced by fat, circulates in the bloodstream and communicates with the brain whether or not the body has had enough to eat.

For persons that have a higher leptin level, they will tend to eat more as their body does not sense that there is enough food or energy on board. The leptin level varies from person to person.

Some studies suggest that blacks are more likely to have a higher leptin level than whites. One such study indicated that leptin levels were much higher in black women, even after controlling for factors such as weight. The authors suggested that further research into leptin is needed to investigate racial differences in obesity-related diseases.

Obesity’s impact

Current data from the CDC indicate that 36 percent of adults in the United States overall are characterized as obese. And ethnic minorities have the highest rates of obesity. Half of African-Americans are considered obese while only 34 percent of Caucasian Americans are considered obese.

While there are differences in access to high quality foods and safe spaces for physical activity, these differences persist even when levels of income and education are equal. African-American men who have a college degree are more likely to be obese than African-American men without a high school education. African-American women, the subgroup with the highest obesity rates, also have higher rates of obesity if they have higher income and education levels. While we have yet to understand all of the reasons that account for the higher obesity rates in the African-American community, it is clear that African-Americans are disproportionately affected by obesity and obesity-related disease processes such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Opening doors

With the largest organized group of physicians, the AMA, acknowledging obesity as a disease, they have helped to pave the way for policy changes and medical coverage of obesity. In 2012, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began to reimburse primary care providers for obesity screening and counseling in patients 65 and older.

More dollars need to be allocated towards the treatment of obesity in the 36 percent of adults and 17 percent of children and adolescents who already have this diagnosis. Efforts should also be made towards prevention of obesity by ensuring adequate resources for all populations with particular emphasis on ethnic minority populations due to the higher disease burden.

Conservative estimates of obesity costs demonstrate that this disease process costs approximately $147 billion U.S. dollars annually. While African-Americans are more likely to struggle with their weight, they are less likely to access care to reduce the disease burden of obesity on their quality of life. The AMA should be applauded for their recent strides to improve the health of all Americans.

While the war on obesity is far from over, we have won one recent battle — obesity has been acknowledged as a disease. Now let’s focus our attention on reducing obesity to improve the health of generations to come.

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A friend who was on the phone with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin moments before he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman testified that she heard the Miami teen shout, “Get off! Get off!” before his telephone went dead.

Rachel Jeantel recounted to jurors in Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial how Martin told her he was being followed by a man as he walked through the Retreat at Twin Lakes townhome complex on his way back from a convenience store to the home of his father’s fiancee.

Jeantel is considered one of the prosecution’s most important witnesses because she was the last person to talk to Martin before his encounter with Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012.

She testified that Martin described the man following him as “a creepy-ass cracker” and he thought he had evaded him. But she said a short time later Martin let out a profanity.

Martin said Zimmerman was behind him and she heard Martin ask: “What are you following me for?”

She then heard what sounded like Martin’s phone earpiece drop into the grass and she heard him say, “Get off! Get off!” The phone then went dead, she said.

Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder for killing Martin. Zimmerman followed him in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.

Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, saying he opened fire after the teenager jumped him and began slamming his head against the concrete sidewalk.

Zimmerman, whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic, has denied the confrontation with the black teenager had anything to do with race, as Martin’s family and its supporters have claimed.

Jeantel’s testimony came after two former neighbors of Zimmerman testified Wednesday about hearing howls and shouts for help in the moments before the shooting.

Jayne Surdyka told the court that immediately before the shooting, she heard an aggressive voice and a softer voice exchanging words for several minutes in an area behind her townhome at the Retreat at Twin Lakes.

“It was someone being very aggressive and angry at someone,” she said.

During the struggle, she said, she saw a person in dark clothes on top of the other person. Martin was wearing a dark sweatshirt and Zimmerman wore red clothing. Surdyka said she saw the person who was on top get off the body after the shot was fired.

Surdyka said she heard cries for help and then multiple gunshots: “pop, pop, pop.” Only one shot was fired in the fatal encounter.

“I truly believe the second yell for help was a yelp,” said Surdyka, who later dabbed away tears as prosecutors played her 911 call. “It was excruciating. I really felt it was a boy’s voice.”

During cross-examination, defense attorney Don West tried to show there was a lapse in what Surdyka saw. Defense attorneys contend Martin was on top of Zimmerman during the struggle, but after the neighborhood watch volunteer fired a shot, Zimmerman got on top of Martin.

West also challenged Surdyka about her belief that the cry for help was a boy’s voice, saying she was making an assumption about whose voice it was.

Jeannee Manalo testified after Surdyka that she believed Zimmerman was on top of Martin, saying he was the bigger of the two based on pictures she saw of Martin on television after the fight. Manalo also described hearing howling, but she couldn’t tell who it was coming from, and then a “help sound” a short time later.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Mark O’Mara asked why she had never mentioned her belief that Zimmerman was on top in previous police interviews. He also got her to concede that her perception of Martin’s size was based on five-year-old photos she had seen of him on television that showed a younger and smaller Martin.

Martin’s parents have said they believe the cries for help captured on 911 calls made by Zimmerman’s neighbors came from their son, while Zimmerman’s father has said he believes the cries belong to his son. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys believe they could show whether Zimmerman or Martin was the aggressor in the encounter. Defense attorneys successfully argued against allowing prosecution experts who claimed the cries belonged to Martin.

Before the February 2012 shooting, Zimmerman had made about a half dozen calls to a nonemergency police number to report suspicious characters in his neighborhood. Judge Debra Nelson on Wednesday ruled that they could be played for jurors.

Prosecutors had argued that the police dispatch calls were central to their case that Zimmerman committed second-degree murder since they showed his state of mind. He was increasingly frustrated with repeated burglaries and had reached a breaking point the night he shot the unarmed teenager, prosecutors say.

Defense attorneys argued that the calls were irrelevant and that nothing matters but the seven or eight minutes before Zimmerman fired the deadly shot into Martin’s chest.

Seven of the nine jurors and alternates scribbled attentively on their notepads as the calls were played.

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” resident diva NeNe Leakes (pictured), reportedly said, “I do,” again to Gregg (pictured) on Saturday, whom she had previously divorced in 2011 after 13 years of marriage. The couple, who reconciled last year, exchanged vows in a lavish ceremony at a hotel in Buckhead, reports Hollywood Life.

The wedding reportedly had an old-Hollywood glam theme and was attended by more than 400 guests, including Usher‘s ex-wife, Tameka Raymond; actress Vivica Fox; and TV reality show villainess Omarosa. Leakes’ list of invitees also included quite a few stars from the “Real Housewives’ franchises, including Jill Zarin (formerly of “Real Housewives of New York”), Gretchen Rossi, Slade Smiley(“Real Housewives of Orange County”), and Marysol Patton (“Real Housewives of Miami”).

The 45-year-old statuesque actress donned a white GabrielleArango gown, and her 58-year-old hubby wore a traditional black suit for the ceremony. NeNe was escorted down the aisle by her two sons,Bryant and Brentt, while the Whitney Houston song “I Believe In You and Me” was sung by gospel singer Kim Burrell.

At one point, Brentt reportedly broke down and was comforted by his dad, Gregg, according to Hollywood Life.

The nuptials were officiated by famed TV judge Greg Mathis. During the vows — and in typical NeNe fashion — she reportedly refused to repeat the “poorer” part of “for richer or poorer.”

NeNe had nine bridesmaids, including “RHOA” present and former co-stars Cynthia Bailey and Marlo Hampton, respectively. The nuptial lineup also included “Basketball Wives” franchise stars Laura Govan and Jennifer Williams.

Gregg had nine groomsmen and Star Jones’ ex-husband, Al Reynolds was one of them.

If you are wondering who from the “RHOA” cast members made the cut and celebrated with NeNe and Gregg on their special day, Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams, Kandi Burruss, and former castmate Lisa Wu Hartwell were all on hand to wish the newlyweds well.

Songstress Fantasia Burrino also belted out three numbers during the reception festivities.

Surprisingly, NeNe also reportedly invited her very pregnant, sometimes nemesis Kim Zolciak and her husband, Kroy Biermann, to the wedding.

An unidentified insider told Hollywood Life, however, that “RHOA” co-star Kenya Moore was not present at the ceremony.

Is it any wonder?

Maybe she was busy house-hunting after being evicted from her manse last week.

Interfaith Older Adult Programs RSVP held a volunteer appreciation luncheon at the Washington Park Senior Center. On hand to say “thank you” and serve the volunteers for their time and support were Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and MPS Superintendent Gregory Thornton. RSVP is a service organization for individuals 55 years of age and older. Volunteers work together to build capacity and further the mission of local schools and non-profit.

Two Ivorians, considered to be middle class by the African Development Bank, tell the BBC’s Tamasin Ford how they survive on between $2 (£1.30) and $20 a day.

Konan Kouassi Vercruysses, 26, runs a phone booth with his cousin. He works five-hour shifts, six days a week and attends university.

Kouadio Koffi, 29, is a security guard who shares a one-room house with his cousin. He works 12-hour night shifts, six days a week.

Monthly budget

Konan Kouassi Vercruysses

Kouadio Koffi

Earnings

$240-$530

$100

Rent (inc water)

$80 (for his room and one for his cousin)

$33

Transport

$20

$2

Electricity

$8

$4

Gas (for cooking)

$2

$4.40

Internet

$3.20

–

Phone

$12

$2

Food

$140 (including for his cousin)

$50

Clothes

$10-$30

$10 (if money available)

Other

circa $40 (to his cousin for phone booth work)

–

Savings

Yes (undisclosed – been saving for five months)

No

Both men, who live in the main city of Abidjan, are single with no children, do not own a car, a house or land and were affected by the five-month conflict that followed the disputed 2010 polls.

Konan Kouassi Vercruysses:

I manage a phone box at the market of Cocody in Abidjan.

A phone box is where people come to make a call or buy airtime for their mobile phones.

When you have many customers it’s profitable but if you don’t get many customers, unfortunately, you leave your work place empty-handed.

I don’t live with my parents. I rent a room in a house with my cousin.

He helps me manage my business when I am at university.

I’m studying English at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny University in Abidjan.

I don’t own the house or have any land.

I just want to live alone to be a man, to face the difficulties by myself and be independent.

My parents take care of my school fees so I just pay for everything else.

I spend most of my money on food every month for me and my cousin. Here in Abidjan, food is very expensive. If you want to eat very well you need to spend more.

I face many difficulties because when I’m managing my business myself I cannot study very well.

I’m wasting my time and often I’m very angry because I see my friends go to school but I’m obliged to stay here and manage my business.

I become very sad and very angry because my aim is not to stay here. My aim is to go beyond and be excellent in my studies.

‘I will be rich’

My dream is to become a businessman but here in Ivory Coast it’s not easy to start that right now so I would like first of all to be a teacher and then if I get some money I will set up my own business.

Sweets are also for sale at the phone box

Of course I am afraid of losing my business because it pays for my life.

During the crisis I had to stop working; I lost everything; I had to spend all my savings just to live, to eat.

Now I put money aside every day. I started my savings again just five months ago because I want to buy a computer. Maybe in three months I will have enough money to buy one.

Right now I don’t find I have enough money to do what I want to do because I need to pay for so many things so it’s not easy to start a good business.

If one of my brothers calls me and says he needs money, I give him some money. I have two younger brothers and three sisters; I’m the eldest.

I cannot say I’m wealthy but I cannot say I’m poor because if I’m living it means I can sustain my life.

I don’t like the word poor because if you have this in your mind it brings you down.

I’m convinced I will be rich one day. I would like to reach my goals.

If I am able to pay my food, buy my clothes it means I have something. I am not nothing.

Kouadio Koffi:

I am a security guard in the east of Abidjan but I live in Yopougon [in the west].

Transport is very expensive in Abidjan so if I had to go from my house to my work every day it would cost a lot of money because it’s far away.

So I sleep here with a friend during the week and go home at the weekends [where] life is good because things are cheaper there.

Other areas, like here where I work, are more expensive.

Kouadio Koffi cannot afford to visit cyber cafes

I live with my younger cousin in a one-room house.

He is staying with me so he can go to school here. He helps with the food bills but he doesn’t have very much.

When I wake up in the morning my problems begin, truly, because I have to first find food and then I have to help my cousin. If I had more money I could help more.

This work is tiring. I start at 6.30pm and finish at 6.30am but what other work can I do?

‘I want a family’

My father died in 2004 and that’s when I stopped going to school because I had to work to find money.

It was hard to find work then because it was just after the first crisis. Everyone fled to Abidjan and everybody needed jobs.

I don’t have any savings or any emergency fund. There is nothing in my bank account.

Everything I earn goes on rent, bills and food. There’s nothing left for savings.

When there’s a death in my family I go to my friends for help, to give me a little something. It’s like that.

Yes I am scared if I lose my job because there will be nothing to pay for my rent.

Where will I find money? If I lose my job there will be many problems for me.

I don’t have a computer and I’ve probably only been on the internet four or five times in the last five years.

It is very rare for me to visit a cyber cafe. I just don’t have the money.

After all the bills there is no money left. If there is anything, I give it to my cousin or I use it for transport to go home.

But there is usually nothing – 50,000 CFA ($100) a month is too small to live on.

When you’re sick it is serious because there is no money for the hospital.

I find small treatments or drugs from people who sell them on the street.

There are many challenges. I want to see a better life, a better life for me.

I want to have a wife and children but what food can I give them?

I need money to give them a life and send them to school. I don’t want them to suffer.